New Vegas: Uprising and Redemption
by Big Bad Vault Boy
Summary: Its been 17 years since the events of Fallout: NV and the Courier's son has questions he needs answered. Follow Jason and the Companions he meets along the way as well as some familiar faces as he searches for the father he never knew. Meanwhile a new enemy has emerged and plans to tear the Mojave apart to get what he wants. Feel free to R&R.
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER ONE**

I barely go outside anymore. I've grown accustom to the cheers from the crowd, as well as the screams from those who overestimated their skills. The THORN can be a brutal place, especially for those who don't take precautions or listen to reason. It's a good thing I know my limitations. I know when to act against my opponents and when to wait for an opening, which is more than I can say for most. The worst thing you could ever do is charge head on. That can prove to be more fatal than the most dangerous of creatures.

I am not self-trained however. It helps that I grew up in this place, and It also helps that my mother runs it. Red Lucy is my mom and that is how I know what to do in these situations. From the day I was able to walk my training started. Advanced knowledge of firearms and hand to hand combat is what optimized my skills. This is what I live for.

"Are you ready?" a voice came from behind me.

I turned to find my best friend Angel standing against the wall. She has been to every one of my battles and never fails to encourage me, not that I need it.

"Of course I'm ready, I always am."

"I know, I know. I just have to make sure before you risk your hide on this one."

Every time I fight I make it through with barley a scratch, but this time was different. This time it was more dangerous. This will be my first time fighting a deathclaw. I can hear the rattling in the opposite cage. I can imagine the size of the blood soaked claws, and teeth. I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous.

"You know you can still back out." She said playfully.

"No I can't and you know that." I stated while I readied my weapons. I had a combat knife in my left hand and a 45. Auto pistol in my right.

"Well if you make it out of this, dinner is on me." She said as she sent a wink my way and started up the latter.

I smiled to myself and turned to face out of the gate as it started to creek open. My hands started shaking a bit but I was able to stop it before it got to bad. I looked up to the platform overlooking the arena to where my mother was standing. The look on her face read that she seemed proud, certain even. She had no doubt I could pull this off and it eased my mind a bit.

I changed the direction of my glance to the other cage and my heart sunk. This thing was fucking huge. Easily four feet taller than me and just as wide. It scanned the area searching for its target before its eyes locked on to me as I stepped out into the arena.

The crowd started chanting my name and the uproar seemed to agitate the beast. It leaped out onto the arena floor and let out a blood curling roar as if to respond to the onlookers.

I covered my ears from the defining echo as it lumbered towards me. Dropping my hands back to my side I gripped the handle of my combat knife as tightly as I could. Then without warning it leaped again in my direction just missing me by mere inches. I jumped to the left while bringing the blade around to catch it in its side. Blood gushed forth and trickled down its side as it roared again but this time seeming more agitated than ever.

It swung its arm backwards catching me across the chest knocking the wind out of me. I hit the wall with a thud and slid down to the floor. I heard the gasps from the audience and thought for sure I was dead.

I tried to regain my composer but I was still having trouble breathing. As I looked back up at the beast it lunged once more with claws extended. I flattened to the ground just in time for its massive talons to slam into the cold steel where my head had been. I tried to bring my pistol up to fire but realized I had dropped it when I was hit and it lay at least ten feet away.

My panic had fully set in at this point and I was freaking out. I grabbed onto its arm and it lifted me off the ground. With me now dangling above its head it tried to snap at my feet but I was able to plant the heel of my combat boot to the side of its head causing it to drop me. After hitting the ground I had the wind knocked out of me for the second time causing me to mumble under my breath.

"I've had it with this shit!" I said in the most agitated tone I could muster. I started to crawl towards my gun only to be picked up again by the massive creature.

"For fuck sake!" I stated again while I kicked to get free but apparently it had learned from the first time now holding me at arms length. It squeezed my leg with its giant hands causing me to grit my teeth with pain.

If mom taught me anything it was not to show pain. If your enemy knows your in pain then it will be easier for them to pin-point your weak spots. I tried to wiggle free but it only squeezed tighter making it hurt even more. This fight had only been going for less than a minute but it felt like eternity had taken control. It took me this long to realize I still had my knife.

"Are you kidding me?" I said very angry with myself.

I brought my torso up and jammed the knife deep into its forearm making it lose its grip. I fell again but this time I was able to swing around in time to land on my feet. The impact still caused me to stumble a little though. I then ran over to my pistol, picked it up, and brought it up to eye level just in time to empty a shot into its skull. It slammed its claws to the floor in pain causing a small earthquake under my feet. I fired again and it entered the beasts shoulder. It made one final leap towards me hitting me dead center and knocking me to the ground.

It roared in my face and I could feel my eardrums about to burst. Its arms had mine pinned to the ground with full force. I could feel the bones becoming brittle and the pain was immense. I only had one move left and it was time to use it.

"Alright you big son of a bitch, lets do this!" I yelled through clenched teeth.

It brought its head down at my chest ready to end it. I then brought my knee up catching it right under the jaw. It released my arm just enough for me to break free and rip the knife from its forearm and plant it into its skull. It went limp and I rolled out from under it before it fell on top of me. I got to my feet and observed my fallen foe.

It was still breathing and a quiet whine was coming from it. I walked over to where I had dropped my gun again and picked it up. I returned to the limp creature and spoke my final words before planting two more shots into its head

"Your blood belongs to the THORN."


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

The whiskey was starting to hit harder as I downed another shot. I figured it would be a good night to celebrate my close call. All I knew was it would be awhile before trying something of that magnitude again. I was aching all over and was having a hard time standing but that just may have been the whiskey.

"I knew you could do it!" Angel yelled before taking another drink of vodka directly from the bottle.

"Wasn't it you who told me I should back out?" I said through slurred words.

"No! I said you could. I never said you should." Her bottle was almost empty at this point and she was almost as far gone as I was. My mind was getting cloudy and everything I saw was a blur. Though through my vision I was able to see how loosely her clothes were fitting and basically falling off of her. Her gaze seemed to follow mine and a smile crept across her face.

"like what you see?" She asked with the most seductive tone she could possibly execute.

It took me a second to realize I had been caught staring and I quickly took another drink. I drank a little to fast however and I almost choked causing me to cough a little.

She was laughing so hard that she started to fall backwards in her chair. I shot forward as fast as I could just in time to catch her by the arm and pull her to me. She landed in my lap and had yet to stop laughing. She reached for bottle on the table but frowned when the realization hit that she had spilled it when she fell backwards.

She set the empty bottle back on the table and picked up mine. She put it up to her mouth to take the last shot or two in the bottle but missed and it spilled all down the front of her shirt causing her to laugh more.

"Maybe you've had enough." I said as I took the now empty bottle from her hand. She frowned a bit and placed her head on my shoulder. It was weird to see myself in this situation with her. We had grown up together and she was my best friend but for the past two years now the situation between us had seemed to change. I saw her in a different way and that scared me more than any creature I had fought.

I wouldn't necessarily be against anything happening between us. I would just be afraid of what would happen after the fact. I didn't want to get even more attached than I already was. This was not a world for attachment. Anything could happen at any moment and that terrified me.

I looked down at her to see she was sound asleep. I chuckled to myself and stood up carrying her in my arms over to my bed. I placed her head on the pillow and covered her up. I then turned to the table and picked up the empty bottles before tossing them in the trash bin next to my door. The cards from that night's game of caravan still covered the table but I decided to leave them until morning.

I walked over to one of my lockers and pulled out a bedroll before laying it out on the floor next to the bed. After kicking off my boots and pulling the whiskey stained shirt I was wearing off I sat down on the bedroll leaning against the bed. I didn't even have time to lay down before my eyes got heavy and I fell asleep sitting up.

It was short lived however as I awoke to voices outside my door. Normally it wouldn't bother me except for one detail. I didn't recognize these voices. The THORN was closed and I know everyone that lives down here. These voices belonged to someone I didn't know therefore they were unwelcome.

I looked up above my bed to the hooks where I kept my weapons. My 45. was hanging in its holster a few feet above Angel's head and my hunting shotgun was placed on top of the pegs sticking out of the wall. That shotgun actually had a name and it was Dinnerbell.

It was a gift my mom had given my father but he left it behind before going to Hoover Dam where he died, so it was given to me a few years back.

I stood up and placed my knee on the bed next to Angel who was still sound asleep. I reached up and grabbed Dinnerbell as I heard the voices draw closer. I always kept my guns loaded and ready so there was no need for shells at the moment. Backing away from the bed I took a knee by the table with a chair in front of me to rest my arms. Taking aim at the door I slowed my breathing and waited.

The voices were right outside my door and every second felt like an hour. My finger held the trigger as tight as possible without pulling it. Just then I heard the button on the control panel click as my door slid open. I could see at least three people on the other side all wearing light-weight leather armor and carrying various weapons.

As the one in front stepped inside I fired my first shot. The slug completely ignored his armor and entered his chest dead center. His body flew back to the opposite wall where it hit and slid to the floor. Once it registered in the others minds what had just occurred they took cover behind each side of the door.

"What the fuck! You said it would be clear down here!" Came the voice of another man just out of my sight.

"It should have been!" That time it was a woman's voice and I heard what sounded like a laser rifle charging. I chambered another shell and called out to them.

"If you toss in your weapons and put your hands against the wall, you wont end up like your friend there." I stated trying to defuse the situation before it got worse.

"I don't think so kid. Why don't you just give up." The female voice retorted. I just laughed and started to inch to the side in order to get a better shot.

"Do you people really think I'm the only one down here with a gun? It was stupid for you to come down here at all, now I wont tell you again." I said with a more serious tone. By this time Angel had woken up and was now pointing my 45. towards the door as well. I looked over to her and gave a nod telling her to rush the door. She nodded back in agreement and bolted for the opening.

Hearing the commotion inside the room the man on the other side of the door swung his hunting rifle around the corner and made a blind shot in Angel's direction. She hit the ground and slid into the hallway beneath him. He then brought the barrel of the gun down to meet her but he was knocked off his feet with a clean sweep to the back of his knee cap causing him to bang his head on the wall in the process. The other attacker then jumped down on top of her trying to pin her down.

I then tossed Dinnerbell to the side and ran out the door, tackling her off of Angel. Feeling her smaller frame give way as my shoulder collided with her ribcage. I could hear the crack of the bone and the shout of pain that came from her mouth as I kicked the gun away and put her in a head lock.

"I told you to give up." I said as she was now struggling to breath. She kept kicking and prying at my arms trying to escape but it was too late. I quickly jerked her head to the right and broke it instantly causing her body to go limp.

I smiled to myself thinking it was over but to my horror it wasn't. In the time I had dealt with the female attacker the man had regained his composer and was now holding Angel in front of him with a machete to her throat and the laser rifle on her shoulder aiming at me.

I could see the fear on her face and it terrified me. No matter what I have to do I'm not going to let her die. Ill be damned if I let this asshole take her from me.

"Wrong move kid." He said as he fired the laser rifle sending a beam grazing across the top of my left shoulder. It burned but other than that I didn't feel much thanks to all the adrenalin.

Angel screamed and squirmed trying to get free but to no avail. He started to back up down the hall with her in tow before I heard another gun shot. I wasn't sure where it had come from before I saw his head basically explode from the impact. Blood and brain splattered the hall as well as the right side of Angel's face. His lifeless body hit the floor and Angel ran into my arms.

As I held her there I saw my mom coming down the hallway with her anti-material rifle and a handful of guards. She stopped a few feet short of us and flipped over one of the bodies to examine it.

"Who the hell are these guys?" she asked with a puzzled look.

"I have no idea." I responded truthfully.

"But I intend to find out."


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

Everyone had gathered above the arena the next morning to discuss what had happened the night before. The event was still fresh in my mind as I recalled every detail to try and discover what their motives were. There was no reason I could think of for anyone to come down here after closing. The way they were dressed and the fact they had brandished their weapons was more than enough proof to know their intentions were less than friendly.

Angel held onto my arm while we were sitting on the metal stairs listening to my mother speak. I've never seen her like this before and I was worried. As far back as I could remember she had never been this scared.

"How is she holding up?" My mom had turned to ask me. To be quite honest I wasn't sure. Neither of us were able to go back to sleep after that and I held her the rest of the night with less than ten words spoken between us.

Just when I was about to answer she spoke up for herself.

"I'm fine." Was all she said. Mom sent a glance my way as if to ask if it was true or not. All I could do was shrug. I really had no idea but I prayed it was true. In the time we were sitting there listening to the lecture my mom had started. Raz had apparently come down to check on everyone, especially Angel.

Raz was basically the bouncer for the THORN. He was over six feet tall and had almost as much muscle tone as a super mutant. He was extremely fond of Angel which in the same respect meant he didn't like me very much.

"Ah, there you are Raz. Would you mind telling us how these thugs got down here last night? You were on duty after all." After mom had stated that I then realized she was right. He was on duty last night. That meant he should have been watching the entrance the whole time.

"Yes I was watching the entrance last night Red. That's why I can tell you that there has to be another way they got in. Nobody came down that latter last night." I was really pissed with him at this point so all I could do was laugh. He shot a nasty glance in my direction before speaking again.

"You got something to say to me kid?" he asked in a nasty tone.

"I'm sure you already know what I want to say Raz, but I'll just leave it at that. I don't want to make the mutant reject angry." He gritted his teeth trying not to lash out and Angel slapped me on the arm. He may not have liked me but he was beyond nice to her so she didn't see a problem with him.

It also pissed me off that he constantly referred to me as kid. He was only six years older than me which wasn't a big gap.

"Well how do you suppose they got in?" Mom asked trying to pull his attention away from me. He kept eye contact for a few more seconds before breaking it to answer.

"I'm not sure Red. We could always take a look around the lower levels. No one ever goes down there, maybe there's a cave system with tunnels or something." Every word that came out of his mouth just made me even more angry.

"I think your just grasping at straws now. In reality you have no idea what the hell your talking about." I said with as much aggravation as possible. Everyone knew I was pissed now and it made some uneasy. The last time Raz and I got into it several bones were broken for both of us.

"I actually think it's a good idea." Mom said.

I wasn't sure if she actually thought so or if she was just trying to keep a fight from breaking out. A huge smile crept across his face and he looked back at me as if to rub it in. I prayed he would say just one smart ass comment so I could knock the smile off his face, but he kept his words to himself.

"We will go to the lower levels and search for these tunnels. If we happen to find some we will split up into teams of two and take separate tunnels." Mom said as she started to head up to her room to grab her equipment.

"On one condition Red, Angel comes with me." He said as he approached us sitting on the stairs.

"Like Hell!" I yelled as I got up and stood between him and her. Angel reached up and grabbed my arm pulling backwards.

"Its fine Jason, I'll be ok." She stated as she started to step forward. I couldn't believe what was happening and I clenched my fists in frustration. The smile he had on was now bigger than before and I wanted to break every tooth that was showing. As she stepped past him going to get her stuff from my room he looked back at me before speaking again.

"Relax kid. I can probably protect her better than you anyway." That was it. That was the moment I was waiting for. I lunged forward hurling my fist towards his face but was caught off guard with arms wrapped around my own. A few of the guards were holding me in place trying to keep the fight from starting.

He shot a wink my way and quickened his pace to follow her. I shook my arms loose and stormed off in the opposite direction. I didn't want to see her with him. Even if nothing was going on between the two of them I knew what he wanted it to be. Maybe the reason I hated him so much was because I wanted the same thing he did. I shook my head trying to get the thoughts to leave but they wouldn't. There was only one thing for me to do right this second and I needed to do it. I went down to the cages where we kept all our creatures.

We had almost every creature in the wasteland down here and the only thing separating you from them was about a foot of cold steel. I passed scorpions, fire geckos, mantises, and a few empty cages before I got to the one I was looking for. I flipped the lever and slid it open to find my dog Nitro asleep in the corner. I called his name and he shot up bounding over to me. I leaned down to catch him and he licked my face. I pulled out his digital collar and clicked it around his neck.

Then with him following close behind I closed his pin and headed back up stairs. Everyone else had gotten their things and were now waiting for me. I had Dinnerbell on my back and my 45. on my right hip while my combat knife was on my left. I had on my combat boots with my faded jeans and my brown leather jacket with a white thermal shirt underneath.

Mom had on her normal duster with her anti-material rifle on her back. Angel had changed from her regular clothes to the outfit she usually wore during her matches here. She had taken parts from metal armor and added them to reinforced leather. Making it more durable than leather but easier to move in than metal.

She also had her katana that she had name Lilith as well as the cowboy repeater I had given her the year before as a birthday present. It had all custom parts and was in amazing condition. I was proud to give it to her and she was even prouder to use it.

Raz was wearing his merc veteran outfit with a super-sledge on his back. I never saw him use anything other than that sledge but he still carried a 44. magnum at his side.

"Are we all ready to go?" Mom questioned one lest time before heading to the lower levels. I gave a nod as well as everyone else. She turned around and started down the hall that held the door that lead to the deepest reaches of the THORN. As we were walking Angel saw I had brought Nitro up and she ran over to see him. He started wagging his tail in response to seeing her and couldn't contain his excitement when she handed him a piece of gecko steak that she had apparently taken from my room.

"Did I say you could take that?" I asked playfully. She just giggled and gave him another piece. Raz was staring me down as we all walked together. He hated the fact that I was so close to her. That she spent so much time with me, and I loved rubbing it in his face.

Once we got to the door mom hit the button but nothing happened. It looked like it was trying to open but something was stopping it. She motioned for me to come closer as the door shook again.

"I think its jammed." She said waiting for my agreement.

"I can get it open, but I need everyone to be ready incase there's something on the other side." I said as I turned to face everyone behind me. They nodded as I took a knee in front of the activation panel. Mom took cover on the other side of the door while the rest aimed their weapons at it. I popped the cover off the panel and fumbled around with the wires.

The wire that was linked to the gears of the left side of the door was severed so there was no power going to it. Meaning that the door was being anchored on this side by the immobile gears.

"I'll be damned." I stated while trying to think of a way to fix it.

"What's the matter?" Mom asked as she took a closer look at the panel.

"Someone was down here. This wire was cut so no one could get through. There's just one problem." I said as fear set in.

"What's the problem Jason?" Mom asked obviously seeing the worried look on my face.

"The wire was cut from this side. That means whoever cut it is still here."

Silence overwhelmed everyone there. Exchanging glances of suspicion with each other trying to figure out who was responsible. The tension grew with every passing second and people were becoming restless. Arguing back and forth as everyone pointed the finger at one another.

"Everyone needs to stop this now!" Mom yelled over everybody.

The bickering and arguing seemed to stop as they all heard her voice. Everyone knew by now that nothing good came from mom's anger. They knew it was in their best interest to just stay quiet and listen.

"We will figure this out later. Right now everyone needs to get back upstairs and secure the entrance. If they really are still here, they aren't getting out." Everyone nodded and started to head back towards the stairs when mom called out to Angel and Raz and they walked back over to us as mom started talking again.

"You two need to stay here with us. We are still going to get this door open."

Raz then walked over to the door to take a look at it while Angel crouched down to pet Nitro again. Raz slid his hand under the side of the door that was off the ground. Once he got a grip on it he started to lift causing the door to scrape against the metal frame. He got it about three feet off the ground before he couldn't pull it anymore.

"Alright whoever is going in needs to do so now." He said as he struggled to keep it open. I sent Nitro in as I followed with mom and Angel right behind me. Then I took of the panel on the other side which still had all the wires in tact and I opened the door. It slid open as Raz rubbed his hands together as if they were sore.

"Could you have been any slower?" he asked in a very agitated tone.

"Be thankful. I was thinking about just leaving you there." I stated in retort. He grimaced and stepped in front of me so he was at the front. We started walking down the dimly lit hallways where every foot step echoed down the corridor. We inspected every room we came to and so far found nothing. As I looked down the hallway I noticed something at the end speed by in a blur of shadow.

"What the hell was that?" I asked a little startled

"I didn't see anything." Angel said staring down the hall.

Before I could say anything else it happened again but this time there was more than one shadow. This time it looked like three. I removed my 45. from its holster and moved up front. Angel held her katana in front of her as she took her place beside me. We slowly made our way down the hall to the spot we had seen them.

It was another hallway with the path going both directions into complete darkness. I tried hitting the switch on the wall but nothing happened. We couldn't hear anything and I was starting to get nervous.

"What do you think that was, Red?" Raz asked as he pulled the super sledge from his back.

"No idea." She said plainly.

"Hey mom, do you still have that flare gun in your coat?" I asked hoping she would.

"Actually I do." She said as she reached into her pocket. After pulling it out she handed it to me with a few rounds to go with it. I loaded the gun and aimed it down the hall to my left before firing. The flare smoked down the corridor before bouncing off the far wall. At first I didn't see anything. The sparks from the flare hopped along the cold metal floor as it sizzled. Then out of nowhere another something shot from the shadows around the flare. It leaped forward and bit down on my arm as I tried to deflect what ever it was.

As it dug into my forearm I brought my 45. up to its body and emptied a few shots into it causing it to let go. It lifeless body hit the floor and I kicked into the lit hallway we just came from. It slid to a stop a few feet from us and we could see it clearly now. A coyote's body with what looked like a snakes head and tail.

"Night stalker." Mom said as she nudged the body with the barrel of her gun.

"What the fuck is that doing down here?" I asked as I clutched my arm where it had bit me. Angel turned to me and gently pushed me against the wall. She grabbed my arm and pulled up the sleeve to get a look at the bite. There were two holes in my arm with lines of blood flowing from the wounds. She reached into one of the pouches on her belt and pulled out a vial of anti-venom.

She was a decent fighter but she was an even better medic. She knew how to fix almost any injury and almost always knew what to do. She then took an empty syringe from the same pouch and filled it about a quarters worth. She felt for the vein above the bite and injected it into my arm. The anti-venom actually stung more than the bite itself causing me to cringe a bit.

"Don't be such a baby." She said as she slapped the area where the needle went in.

"let's not let our guard down. I saw three of these things." I stated as I rolled the sleeve back down my arm. I pulled the magazine out of my gun to see how many shots I had left before clicking it back in, but once I did Nitro started growling. We could hear clacking down the hall sounding like it was running in our direction. The sound soon drowned out everything else as we could now tell there were more than we thought.

"That sounds like a hell of a lot more than three!" Raz yelled as he swung his sledge at one rounding the corner.

"Just shut up and run!" I yelled back as I fired a shot at the one jumping in his direction. The bullet blew through its head and it fell to the ground. We all turned and bolted down the hall towards one of the doors to our left and dove inside. I hit the button just in time for the door to close and we heard the thudding of them ramming it on the other side.

"Great now how do we get out of here?" Raz questioned as he dusted off his hands. I looked back at the door and sighed before facing the group.

"Well it seems we only have one option. Do you have any grenades?"


	4. Chapter 4

**CAPTER FOUR**

Time was passing slowly and the search for any kind of explosive had turned up nothing. The room we were in was almost empty except for a few chairs and a crate full of worthless junk. We just sat there listening to the frantic scratching on the metal door from the creatures trying to get in. It was unclear how many of them were out there and I wasn't sure we had enough ammo to take out all of them. Hell, I didn't even know if we could handle all of them at once.

"Are we gonna actually do something about this or are we just gonna sit here?" Raz asked as he lit the stale cigarette hanging out of his mouth. Even the way he smoked made me mad. He just held it between his teeth and puffed without pulling it away from his face. He smoked the things like they were fucking cigars. I guess it's not that big a deal but every little thing he does just pisses me off.

"If you want to step into the hall and have a nice little chat with our guests I won't stop you." I said as I slid my combat knife against the whetstone I had. He gritted his teeth in clear frustration causing the cigarette to crumble slightly. Angel then shot looks at both of us and it seemed then that nothing had just happened. It was obvious to me I was whipped by this girl but I didn't seem to care. I'd stand up to the pack of nightstalkers outside before doing anything intentional to make her mad.

Silence then once again filled the room as we all just sat there trying to think of ways to get out. The scratching had still ceased to stop and it was starting to grate on my eardrums. Literally just sitting around with nothing to do for going on three hours now eventually gets to you. I don't know if it was out of boredom or if I really wanted to know but I spoke up.

"So how do you think they got down here?" I asked just trying to find any reason to fill the silence. The others just kind of glanced around at each other not sure of what to think or say about the whole situation.

"Don't know and don't really care." Mom said with a sigh. "The only thing we should worry about is how we're going to kill them."

"Yeah, it wasn't like this last time we were down here." Raz said as he leaned back against the wall. Confusion seemed to overwhelm me and my mother as we exchanged glances before asking what he meant.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" I asked as I tucked the combat knife in my boot and stood up from the floor. A million different scenarios were playing through my head and I was completely taken aback by what he said. It was then I noticed something strange. Angel all of a sudden appeared very nervous. Like she knew something we didn't and my heart started to race. He straitened himself out and dropped the cigarette on the floor before stepping on it.

"Look kid it might be hard for you to believe but sometimes adults like to do adult things." He stated as we stared each other down. Angel then stood up and acted like she was about to say something but nothing came out and in my heart I knew what he was about to say but I didn't want to hear it.

"Me and Angel have been seeing each other for awhile now and when we want some alone time we come down here." The words hit me full force and they stung harder than his fist ever could. I didn't know what hurt worse however. The fact that she was sleeping with the person I hate or that as my so called best friend she didn't tell me sooner. All I could do was glance over to her and watch the emotions pour over her face. It seemed slightly regretful with a hint of sadness and anger at him for telling me.

Though I couldn't tell what the regret was for. I hoped it was for being with him but I already knew it was most likely for the way I found out. I was so caught up in her emotion that I barely registered my own. I was heart broken and torn apart from the inside out but there was one thing I felt that seemed to overwhelm everything else. Anger was the emotion that was winning me over and it took everything I had not to shoot him right then and there. I clenched my fists started to walk towards the door but Angel stopped me.

"Jason you know you can't go out there!" She pleaded as she tried to pull me back.

"Yeah well its better than being in here with a super mutant wannabe and my so called best friend." I stated before yanking my arm back away from her. The look on her face then turned to one of hurt and inside I mentally cursed myself for saying it.

"What are you talking about?" She asked with slight pain in her voice and it sounded like she was on the verge of tears.

"Why would you hide something like that from me?" I asked barely above a whisper all the while refusing to make eye contact. She let out a ragged sigh and I could tell that every word I said cut her deeper and deeper.

"Because I know you hate him." She said as a single tear ran down her face. "And I didn't want you to end up hating me too." I wasn't sure how to respond. I already felt like an ass for saying the things I did. Now she thinks it's a possibility that I might hate her.

"You should know by now that wouldn't happen." I stated plainly while bringing my gaze back to meet hers. "It just hurts that you would pick him over…" It then registered to me what I was saying. I had never admitted it to anybody even though it was obvious to any one who just so much as watched me while I was around her. I didn't even have to finish the sentence at this point because her expression said it all. She understood instantly what I was talking about and her sadness seemed to increase.

"I've always liked you Jason." She said with pain filling her voice. "But you just recently started noticing me as something more and by then it was too late." I couldn't help but want to kick my own ass over the whole thing and I instantly started hating myself. Maybe it was all my fault and now it was just one more problem to add to my mental check list.

Raz just stood there the whole time with his eyes to the floor. I expected him to say or do something to set me off but he never did and to be honest I was disappointed. I was just looking for any excuse to knock his teeth into his throat but he didn't give me the luxury. So after silence fell over all of us again I just walked back over to the place I was before and sat back down. All the events as of late just flooded through my mind and I was starting to get a headache.

Nothing made sense and there seemed to be a new issue waiting around every corner. It had actually taken me a minute to realize how silent it really was. I guess with all of us lost in our own worlds we didn't notice that the scratching had stopped. We couldn't even hear shuffling on the other side of the door. It was as if the creatures had just vanished.

I silently got back up holding my 45. eye level to the door while taking quiet steps towards it. The others then did the same with Raz standing opposite of me. I just stared strait forward trying to focus everything I had on the task at hand. I couldn't let the most recent development cloud my concentration at the moment.

Mom nodded to the switch and without wasting another second I pressed it. I immediately stepped into the hallway aiming my gun back down towards the dark corridor they had originally come from. There was no sign of any of them and that worried me more than being trapped in that room.

"Ok something really fucked up is happening." I said while trying to comprehend the whole situation. "We need to get out of here while we can."

We all turned to walk back towards the door that led upstairs but once again something caught our attention. The hallway that was engulfed in darkness was now lit. Not only that but we heard footsteps. Human footsteps and there were a couple of sets.

After just a few seconds Nitro started to growl as two people stepped into view. They were both men and had on the same lightweight leather armor as the people from the night before. I immediately brought my 45. back up to eye level and looked down the sights with one of their heads dead center. They just stood there with slight smirks on their faces and to be honest it was a bit unsettling. They both had guns in their hands but they weren't raised.

"It seems you've already met some of our friends." The man on the left spoke with a sarcastic tone.

"Yeah and we killed them." I stated simply trying to get one of them to react so I could blast a hole through their skulls. The only reaction I got out of them however was just a small chuckle.

"If you're referring to those idiots who went in alone last night then I'm glad their dead." His voice showed no sign of remorse whatsoever and it just proved how sociopathic people of the wasteland had become. "However I wasn't talking about them. I was referring to these."

He then lifted his arm displaying what looked like a pip-boy before pressing a few buttons and all of a sudden we once again heard the stampede down the hall. The men were surrounded within seconds but they weren't being attacked. The nightstalkers just formed around them and they all had their attention on us. All I could think to do was fight. Whoever these people were it was obvious their intentions were less than friendly.

"Get the fucking door open!" I yelled as I pulled the trigger. The bullet flew down the length of the hallway and entered the man on the right's head splattering blood and brains on the wall behind him. The other man with the pip-boy immediately took cover behind the wall and the nightstalkers charged. There was at least nine of them running strait at us as we all started firing down the hall. One after the other they continued to fall until there were none left in the corridor. By this time Raz had placed himself under the door holding it open for us to get through but just as I watched Angel dive under the man stepped out of cover. I then looked back and lined up my shot but when I pulled the trigger the only sound I heard was an empty click.

I mumbled under my breath as I let the magazine fall to the floor. I quickly pulled out another and slid it in before chambering another round but it was too late. The pin of a grenade was pulled and I looked up just in time to watch it fly in our direction. Raz saw the explosive in the air and rolled out from under the door allowing it to slam closed leaving us behind. Nitro charged at the man and the grenade bounced off the wall landing in between mom and I.

We tried to dive out of the way but the explosion launched us into the now closed door. My ears were ringing and my vision was blurry. All I could make out was the silhouette of the man walking towards us and then all went black as he slammed the stock of his gun in my face.

I had no idea how much time had passed when I opened my eyes to blurry lights dancing back and forth in my line of sight. I could feel the cold stone floor beneath me as well as the heat radiating from the light source. Once my vision straitened out I noticed I was laying about five feet away from a fire pit. I was placed on my stomach with my hands tied behind my back. I couldn't hear anything except for the crackle of the flames in front of me.

"Looks like the kid woke up." I heard a voice say as I was pulled to a sitting position and I could now see more of my surroundings. I appeared to be in a cave with crates and boxes lining the damp stone walls. Two tunnels led off in opposite directions on both sides of the cave. There were five other men around us and I could see Nitro in a chain link cage on the far wall growling and barking at our captors. They had mom strung up by her wrists on the wall beside me and she was covered in cuts and bruises. She smiled at me slightly before one of the men slammed his fist across her face.

"You son of a bitch!" I yelled as I tried to stand but was dragged back to the ground before I got far. My face hit the floor of the cave and I could feel the warm blood start running down passed my eye. All of the men just started laughing at my attempt to get up.

"Where does this little bastard think he's goin?" One of the other men said as he placed his foot on my back keeping me pinned. It was obvious these people were drunk, drugged or both seeing as the whole area smelled like smoke and booze. The laughter continued until I heard someone else enter the space we occupied.

"What the hell do you fuckheads think you're doing?" I heard a familiar voice say. The others immediately pulled me back up and I saw who it was. The man with the pip-boy now stood in front of me with my 45. in his hand.

"We tried getting the bitch to talk but she hasn't said a word." Said the man standing closest to mom.

"What about the kid?" He asked as he pointed to me. The others just shook their heads and waited for him to respond.

"Well then let's start over." He said as he handed my gun to one of the other men before picking up a machete sitting right next to the fire pit. He then placed the tip of the blade against my mother's abdomen before addressing me.

"How many guards and creatures do you have in that shithole you call home?" He asked as he started the slide the blade across her stomach. She gritted her teeth trying to suppress the pain but a whimper still escaped her mouth. I struggled to get free but one of the other men placed his hands on my shoulders to try and keep me from moving.

"I'm not gonna ask you again boy." The man said coldly as he started to drag the blade deeper. I couldn't hold it back I didn't care about the THORN I just wanted to save my mother.

"Fifteen guards!" I yelled trying to keep his torture at bay. "Fifteen guards, ten mantises, eight geckos, nine rad scorpions, six cazadors, and four deathclaws. There's also several large incubators holding the eggs for all the creatures. Now just let us out of here." Once I was done talking I hung my head feeling ashamed for spilling my guts under pressure. That however was a small price to pay for my mom's life.

"Thanks kid I'm glad we worked this out." He said as he took a step back away from her. "But I never said I was gonna let you go." I looked up in horror just in time to see him drive the machete into her chest. She screamed out in pain and blood started to flood out of her mouth as she tried breath.

"You sick fucks!" I screamed while giving my all to escape my bindings. "I'm gonna kill all of you!" Tears started running down my face and mom glanced at me with sad eyes before I saw the life leave her body. The man then walked over and kneeled in front of me.

"You be a good boy now and I'll be back for you later." He stated before standing and making his way down the tunnel to the left. I collapsed onto the cold stone floor and cried silently as I looked at my mother's body still hanging on the wall. I had to find a way to get out of here and fast.

"I'm gonna make all of you fuckers pay." I mumbled to myself as I remembered the combat knife tucked in my boot.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone. I would like you thank you for taking time to read the next chapter of this story. I have a few things to go over really quick so I'll get right to it. Since Fallout 4 was released people have been more interested in that so instead of dropping this story I'm just going to incorporate some aspects of that game into this. Such as armor types, weapons and their mods, and the enemies will act like their updated versions. Also to those of you who actually follow this story I'm sorry for my almost two month absence. My dad just passed away and as you can probably tell it was hard for me to move on with the story considering what happened in the last chapter but I'm back now and will try to update this as often as possible. Thank you for joining me on this adventure.**

 **-TANK**

 **CHAPTER FIVE**

There are some things you never forget. Some things that can't be scraped from your mind no matter how hard you try. Like the smell of blood and the sound of a baseball bat cracking against someone's skull. I was used to these senses and felt them often but at the moment I couldn't feel a thing. Blinded by adrenalin and rage I just fought and killed without a second thought. Despite their restraints I managed to escape and I refused to leave until all of them lay dead. Bodies littered the tunnels of the cavern as Nitro and I moved through them with the copper scent filling the air. I wanted all of them to pay for what they took from me but more than anything I wanted the bastard who killed my mother. I had my blood soaked combat knife in one hand and a sawed off double barrel in the other. Even under fire I didn't fear being shot. I couldn't fear it and something told me that maybe I wanted to die but no matter what happened I wasn't going down easy. Adrenalin flowed through my veins and I couldn't feel pain as bullets and lasers grazed my arms and legs. One bullet had actually entered the outer side of my right thigh but it went strait through. It was definitely going to hurt later but at the moment I didn't feel the slightest bit of pain.

I made short work of everyone in my way and it actually seemed like an out of body experience. It was like I was watching myself completely slaughter every other living being in this cave system. Two other people rounded the corner as Nitro charged and tackled one to the ground. His fangs dug deep into the man's throat and blood started spraying out from in between his jaws. The other man then tried to take aim at my companion but was met instead with a serrated blade being jammed into his gut. He cried out as I removed the knife before immediately sending it back. I just stood there and drove the blade into his abdomen over and over again until he no longer made a sound.

My heavy breathing was the only thing I heard after that and now it was dead silent. No screams or gunshots could be heard and now I was on the hunt. I had killed everyone except the one I wanted to suffer the most. Just a few more twists and turns in the tunnels and I was once again standing on a cold metal floor. This cave system lead strait into the lower levels of the THORN and now I could see how they got in. The opening however seemed strange in form. It wasn't made with explosives or anything else I could think of. It just seemed to be pried apart. All of the metal was bent forward into the lower levels with ruble littering the ground. I just stepped over it and made my way back through the hallway to where the broken door was.

Once I reached it I stared in horror at the sight someone had taken a jack and left it open. I quickly ran to the opening with Nitro close behind and slid under with my shotgun at the ready. I slid to a stop on the other side and was surprised to find no one there. I got to my feet and bolted up the stairs desperate to find any signs of something other than my enemies.

There was nothing but death and a sense of defeat as I walked through my now ransacked sanctuary. The bodies scattered throughout the corridors were comprised of both raiders and guards that gave their life to protect our home but there was no sign of Angel to which I was thankful. There was also no sign of Raz amongst the deceased and I was kind of upset at the fact. I eventually made it to the pins and was shocked to find nothing there either. All of our creatures were gone with no explanation how and I slammed my fist into the steel wall causing a jolt of pain through my arm. The adrenalin was wearing off and I had to find a way to patch myself up fast.

I quickly made my way to my room to find it completely turned over. Everything was out of place and just strewn around the floor but luckily my first aid kit was still intact lying in the corner. I sat the shotgun against the now flipped over table and pulled up a chair next to it before sitting down. I then pulled some purified water, gauze, and a stim-pack out of the kit and closed it back. My pants were removed before pouring the clean water into the wound. I need alcohol to sterilize it but all I had was consumed the night everything started going to shit. Once the water had run through the wound I wrapped it tightly in gauze and jammed the stim-pack into the flash above it before gabbing a clean pair of jeans that I found draped over one of the legs on the table. I changed the rest of my clothes while I was at it and then left my room.

I didn't know what to do next but I just needed to get out of here. Before I was able to make it to the ladder up into Westside however I passed by mom's door and couldn't help but look one last time. Her room was the only one with a key code on the door so it was most likely the only room no one was able to go through. I approached the door and punched in the familiar code before it slid open.

Everything seemed to be in place and I let out a sigh of relief just being thankful that nothing of hers was ruined. I couldn't help but lay down on the bed for just a second before I fell asleep within seconds. Apparently I was more tired than I had originally thought.

I awoke hours later only by the sound of Nitro whimpering and pawing at my arm trying to get me to wake up. I sat up in the bed and rubbed the sleep from my eyes while trying to regain my composer. The pain in my leg was still there but the stim-pack had removed most of the sting. As the memories of recent events flooded my mind once again I clenched my fist before standing up. Walking over to mom's locker I opened it and removed a 10mm pistol as well as a backpack filled with different clothes from when I was younger. It might not fit but I could still use it for something. Then I noticed something. This locker seemed shallower than the others and as I felt around I noticed a false back to it. Once I pried it loose a cloud of dust kicked up and blurred my vision for a second before I could see what was behind it. An old black duster with a combat chest piece under it resembling an NCR ranger's uniform with a matching helmet and a marksman's carbine were carefully placed in the back of the locker with a thick layer of dust and grime covering everything.

I just stepped back and stared at the relics before reaching in and pulling them out. I laid the contents across the bed as I inspected them further. The leather duster over the chest piece was worn and seemed to have been put through a lot before it was sealed away but then I noticed something else that sent a shock through my body. On the chest plate was the word "SIX" and it seemed to be etched in with a knife. My Jaw hit the floor and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Courier Six was my father and I was always told that Dinnerbell was the only thing he left behind and now that was lost too until I could find that guy. I wasn't mad at my mother however. It was understandable that she would want to keep something for herself and for being locked away for seventeen years everything seemed to be in good shape. It would have to be cleaned but it was all still in working condition. I took another glance at the carbine and found it also had something written on it. "All-American" was printed on the side and something about this weapon seemed special. I just quickly brushed everything off and blew air into the helmet before putting at all on. It was stuffy at first but the thought of that all went away as I walked in front of the mirror on the opposite wall.

The image staring back at me seemed to be someone different and honestly I welcomed the feeling. I needed change and I was going to make it happen. After carefully taking apart the carbine and cleaning it thoroughly I pieced it back together and gathered the rest of my supplies. I strapped the sawed off shotgun on the inside of the duster and placed the carbine on my back. I also had the 10mm in the backpack with my ammo and some provisions I grabbed from the refrigerator while I was here. I was ready to walk out the door but decided to take one last look around before leaving. I searched everything but couldn't find anything else of use until I took one last glance inside the locker.

I had missed something and I reached in to grab it. I held the small dust covered journal in my hand before a small piece of paper slipped out and glided to the floor. I picked it up and unfolded it before taking a look at it. What I read completely surprised and astonished me. All I could do was stumble backwards and take a seat on the bed as I continued to read.

Dear, Red

I'm about to make my way to Hoover Dam and I can't help but feel horrible for what I'm about to tell you. I have done so much wrong in my life and I can't stop myself from feeling responsible for everyone's hardships. Jason is two now and he CAN'T become what I am. I want the best for both of you and sadly that can only happen without my influence. Make him grow to be strong but not violent. Help him use his brain not just his brawn. This is a horrible world and he needs to learn how to handle trouble but not go looking for it. I am everything he doesn't need to look up to. I want him to be better than me and maybe one day he can actually fix all the wrongs of this wasteland. I have taken so many lives so the one life I helped create won't have to take any. Keep him safe and make sure he doesn't follow in this "Hero's" footsteps. After this battle I have no choice but to disappear. When he is older just tell him I died there. If you ever need anything you know there's always help in Novac. I hope you and everyone else will forgive me.

p.s. I'm glad I was able to be "your hunter"

-Levi (Courier Six)

My heart raced and felt like it was about to burst out of my chest. I just stared at the piece of paper with everything I thought I knew running through my head.

"He's alive?" I said to myself barely above a whisper. My hands started shaking as I removed the helmet from my head. I wanted to cry, scream, and punch something all at once but I didn't have time for that. I now had a new mission on top of my previous one. I had to find Angel and Raz, I had to find the man who took my mother's life, and I had to find my father. I just shook my head frantically trying to force myself to concentrate and I placed the helmet back on my head. There was only one thing I could do at the moment and that was get out of here. I grabbed all of my things and left the room with Nitro in tow. I only took enough time to stop by a supply closet long enough to grab a paint gun and a harness for my companion before climbing the ladder up into the hot Mojave air. After pulling Nitro up behind me I slid the lid closed and looked up to find myself surrounded by Westside settlers.

"What's a Ranger doing here?" I heard a woman ask to the people around her. I just glanced over and removed the helmet once more to show who I was. Everyone seemed to gasp in unison as they realized now who was standing before them.

"We were told you were dead." A man spoke up as he stepped closer.

"By who?" I asked plainly already knowing the answer.

"Angel and Raz left in a hurry and he said you and your mom both were killed by raiders." The man said as if he was afraid to anger me.

"Well he was half-right." I stated before simply putting the helmet back on and walking toward the crowd but before I got too far I turned around remembering what I brought the paint gun for. I approached the sign above the entrance and in bright red paint I sprayed the word "CLOSED" over the name of my now destroyed home. I then tossed the paint gun to the side before returning to my previous route. The settlers all cleared a path and I walked through without further incident.

As I walked I was unsure of the direction my mind was going but I knew one thing for sure. The Mormon fort was the first stop on my list. There was a guy there that was an old friend of my fathers and he might know where I can start looking. The street I walked on seemed devoid of any people and honestly I was a little weary of my surrounding waiting for something to happen. Only a minute passed before my suspicions became reality. As the sun started getting low four people stepped out of a dark ally way and Nitro started growling. They didn't look like more than common thugs but they could still pose a threat if underestimated. I stopped walking and just stood there as they got in a formation they probably sketched in the dirt with a stick.

They all had melee weapons that consisted of a switchblade, a pool cue, and two tire irons. I just chuckled to myself and shook my head in disapproval. They seemed to notice my condescending behavior and decided it would be a good idea to start talking.

"What are you doing here ranger and what's with the mutt?" The guy in front asked in an annoyed tone.

"I just wanted to take my pal here for a walk." I stated doing my best to get a rise out of them. They just stood there glaring at me and it was obvious my taunting was starting to work.

"That's a nice suit of armor you got there." A girl behind me said as I heard her take a step closer. "And that gun's pretty too."

"Yes and I'd like to keep it that way so I'm only telling you once to go back into your little hiding spot before you get hurt." The tone of my voice went from mocking to plain serious and Nitro lunged forward a few feet as if to give a warning. This only enticed a laugh from the others.

"Get him boys." The man in front said right before the guy with the pool cue charged. He swung it at a downward angle and I caught it with my right hand. Then I brought my other hand around and struck the man in the throat. He let go of the pool cue and started gasping for air. I then broke the cue over my knee and jammed the jagged end through his neck. It exited the other side and all he could do was fall to the ground still trying to breathe as his lungs filled with blood. The others just stared in horror as their friend slowly died at their feel. Then a man with a tire iron lunged forward but Nitro cut him off and clamped his jaws around the man's leg. He cried out in pain before I rushed him. I wrapped my arm around his neck putting him in a headlock before violently twisting to the left snapping his neck instantly. The second thug fell victim to my attacks and I just stood there with my back to the others.

"Are you sure you want to continue?" I asked with my taunting tone returning full force. The only answer I got was the sound of two pairs of footsteps rushing toward me. I just pulled out my shotgun with my left hand and spun around immediately firing into the other man's chest. He flew backwards releasing the tire iron in mid air. As it fell to the ground the girl was still running for me. I simply just stood back and waited for her to reach me before placing the back of my hand across the remaining attacker's face. She tumbled to the ground and rolled a few feet away clutching the side of her face. I could see the tears well up in her eyes as I approached her weeping form. Nitro was about to lunge at her but I waved him away causing him to calm and go back to his happy self.

"Do you want to know where you fucked up?" I asked as I kneeled down beside her. Through her tears I could see the hate filling her eyes and I knew I wasn't going to get an answer.

"Well first off you underestimated me." I said anyway not really caring weather she wanted to hear it or not. "And second you rushed in without thinking." The look in her eyes seemed to change from hate to confusion. She didn't know why I hadn't killed her yet and honestly I didn't either but nevertheless she was still breathing and I had no intent on killing her at this moment. Now that I was actually getting a good look at her I could tell she was actually around my age maybe even younger. She had dark smudges all over her face and down her arms and it seemed she hadn't washed up in over a week. After thinking for a second it all made sense to me considering the guys I just killed looked to be at least in their forties and were fairly clean.

"So how long have these guys forced you do this?" I asked with a reassuring voice trying to let her know I wasn't going to hurt her more than I already had. She just continued to stare at me without saying a word and I could tell she needed help.

"Well I'm heading to the Mormon fort to spend the night. Arcade Ganon is and old friend of the family and you can come if you want." I Said as I stood up. "There will be food, a place for you to wash up, and a nice bed to sleep in." The only thing I could do next was walk away and hope she followed. After walking about fifteen feet away Nitro's ears perked up and he turned around. I did the same and saw her walking at a slow pace towards us. I stopped and stood there waiting for her to catch up. Once she made it to us she kept her gaze to the ground and I could still see small tears running down her face before she finally spoke up.

"Are you sure no one will mind a lowlife Freeside thug going in there?" She asked with slight concern in her voice. I just glanced at her unsure of how to respond until something hit me. I slung the backpack off my shoulder and sat it on the ground before rummaging through it. I pulled out a smaller brown leather jacket and a roving trader hat before laying them on the ground at her feet. I also pulled out a plain gray t-shirt.

"Here wipe yourself off with this." I stated as I handed her the shirt. She slowly took it from my hand and proceeded to wipe her face and arms with it. Most of the grime came off with just a few smudges here and there she would have to really scrub to get off but for the most part she looked better. I then handed her the other clothes and watched as she just looked at me with confused eyes.

"Just put those on." I said trying not to sound slightly annoyed. She reluctantly obeyed and slid her arms through the jacket's sleeves before placing the hat on her head. As I stood back up I noticed her true height now that she was standing next to me. She wasn't more than 5'4 and had hair that went down passed her shoulders that was a really dirty blonde color but that could have been actual dirt.

"How old are you like sixteen" I asked with genuine curiosity in my voice. She just continued to stare at me before responding.

"How old are you like thirty?" She said trying to keep her tough girl attitude despite all of the crying I just witnessed. I just laughed and removed my helmet to show my face.

"No I'm nineteen." I stated with a smile as I noticed the look of pure shock on her face. Her mouth was hanging open slightly and I could tell it was taking time to set in. Even after a few seconds of contemplation she still didn't respond and I decided it was time to move.

"Come on we can talk more when we get there." I said as I started to walk away with Nitro and our new friend following close behind. We walked through the dark streets before making it to the gates of Freeside that illuminated the entire area outside of the perimeter. After entering we approached the Mormon fort with the moon high above New Vegas. I placed my hand on the giant door into the fort and was about to push before someone caught my attention. There was a man in similar clothing as the girl walking towards us. As he got closer I noticed the girl was trying to hide her face under the hat I gave her but it was obvious the man knew who she was.

"Sherry what the fuck are you doing in here?" The man asked in a condescending tone. "You know what happens to our property when it tries to run away." I clenched my fist at the remark and stepped between the two of them.

"She is no property of yours so I suggest you get the fuck out of here before you end up like the others that tried to get in my way earlier." I spat with hate making itself known in my voice. A look of surprise swept over both their faces and a giant blush appeared on her cheeks.

"Like hell she isn't" The man spat back stepping forward. "Her whore mother traded her to us when she was five to pay for her Jet addiction." I was so focused on the man in front of me that I didn't notice the man sneaking up behind her. Within a few seconds the other man had his arm around her with a 9mm placed against her temple. I quickly drew my combat knife on the first guy and held it to his throat.

"Put it down asshole or I'll blow her fucking brains out!" The guy yelled as he pressed the barrel of his gun harder against the side of her head. I could see the tears start to form in her eyes again as she felt helpless in the other man's arms. I was so unsure of what to do next I had to be snapped back to reality as the man pulled back the hammer on the gun.

"I said put it down!" He yelled again but this time he was unsuspecting of the fifth person entering the fray. The only thing he could hear was the sound of a plasma defender charging as I noticed a very familiar face appear behind him.

"Why don't you put it down instead?" Arcade said with a calm tone as he pressed his plasma defender to the back of the man's skull. The fear in his eyes became apparent as he dropped his arms and stepped to the side away from Sherry.

"That's better." Arcade said while keeping his aim on the man with the gun. "Now go tell your boss that this young lady is no longer under your "care" and if any of you try to take her again you'll all be riding plasma strait to hell." I couldn't help the smile that crept across my face as the man immediately turned and ran in the opposite direction.

"That goes for you to." Arcade stated while glancing at the man I still had in custody. He nodded frantically and I removed the blade from his neck but as he started to walk away there was one last thing I had to do.

"One more thing." I said causing him to stop in his tracks and turn just in time to see my fist flying towards his face. My knuckles connected with his nose and I felt the pop as the blood gushed from his face. He stumbled back and tripped falling on his ass in the process. He quickly crawled to his feet and bolted off after the other guy all the while still clutching his nose. Arcade and I both let out small laughs before he walked over and hugged me.

"So what's up kiddo?" He said in a happy tone obviously glad to see me but as soon as he noticed the armor I was wearing his smile disappeared and a look of knowing replaced his smile.

"How did you find that? Where's your mom?" He asked not completely sure he wanted the answer. All I could do was hang my head as the realization hit him and he placed both hands on my shoulders.

"I'm so sorry Jason." He said sincerely. It took everything I had not to break down right then and there in front of everyone.

"Let's get inside and you can tell me everything." He stated as he started to lead us through the doors into the Mormon fort but before we got in I felt something tug on my sleeve. I turned around to find Sherry holding onto my arm. Arcade noticed and just nodded before continuing to walk on without us.

"T-thank you." She said while avoiding eye contact. From the way she said it I wasn't sure she had ever don't it before. I just flashed a small smile and nodded.

"It's not a problem Sherry." I said as I placed my hand on her shoulder which caused her to tense up but after a second she seemed to relax. "You're safe with me." Then with Nitro at my side we led her into the fort.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

"Fuck!" Was the only thing I could say as Vodka was poured into the bullet wound on my leg. Arcade wasted no time trying to patch me up once we were inside the fort and I mentally cursed him for not allowing me to rest for a second. It took all I had not to punch him because I knew he found it all too funny. Once he sat the bottle down on the table next to us I quickly grabbed it and took a swig.

"That's for sterilization." He said with a chuckle. "You're not supposed to drink it." I just ignored the statement and continued to drink straight from the bottle. If I couldn't numb my leg then maybe numbing my mind would work just as well. After everything that had occurred I think I deserved to forget at least for awhile. All the current events and painful memories flooded back to my head and I gripped the bottle tighter.

"Do you know who did this?" He asked sincerely, pulling me from my thoughts. I just hung my head feeling ashamed of the lack of information I had.

"No fucking idea." I said barely above a whisper before downing the last of the alcohol. He flashed a small smile with an understanding nod before standing up. He then walked over to a cabinet from which he pulled out a bottle of whiskey and a small box. The full bottle was placed on the table next to me as he returned to his previous seat.

"More sterilization?" I asked, nodding towards the whiskey.

"Nope." He said plainly with a smile. "For what happens next you're gonna need to drink that too." He then opened the small box pulling out a curved needle with some wire. I understood almost instantly and didn't hesitate before opening the new bottle. The pain was still there when he started sewing the wound closed but the buzz I had was starting to help me cope with it. It also pushed me to ask more difficult questions.

"So why did all of you lie to me?" I asked in a cold tone making it known that my bullshit tolerance was running low. He finished sewing me up and placed the needle in a nearby glass of alcohol before turning back to face me. He looked me in the eyes with an expression I had never seen him use before. It was a look that an adult would give a kid after asking about something they wouldn't understand. It immediately made me regret asking the question but nevertheless it was already done.

"I owed your father that much." He stated as he looked away to the armor lying in the corner. "I tried to tell him you would find out eventually but he was determined to have you grow up without him. It seems cruel now, but you must believe me when I say your father was a broken man. He tried to fix everyone else's problems before his own." I honestly didn't know how to process what I was hearing and I was starting to feel sick but I just shrugged it off as being exhausted. We remained there in silence for a few minutes before he decided to speak again.

"So who's the girl?" He asked as he pointed out of the tent to the girl sitting alone with her back against the wall. She seemed so lost and shy that I actually felt sorry for her.

"I'm not really sure about that either." I said with a shrug as I took another drink. He raised an eyebrow to the statement and looked at me in disbelief.

"So you're planning on traveling the wasteland with a dog and a hormonal teenage girl with no fighting skills whatsoever?" He asked as he crossed his arms waiting for a response. I smiled and nodded while offering the bottle to him. He just waved it away before continuing.

"Do you know anything about this girl such as her name or age?" I felt as if I was being interrogated from all the questions he was asking but considering where I was I figured I would play along.

"I think her name is Sherry cause' I heard one of those guys earlier call her that. As for her age I'm not sure." I stated truthfully as I stood to get dressed now that I was patched up.

"Well see if you can get her in here so I can take a look and make sure she's healthy at least." He said with a sigh before sitting at his desk. I simply nodded and walked out of the tent towards her. She seemed to see me approaching and looked the other way acting like she hadn't noticed. I chuckled slightly finding the act to be amusing.

"Hey." Was all I said to get her attention. She turned and looked up at me as if she hadn't expected me to be there and it caused me to smile.

"You need to go see Arcade so he can make sure you're not injured and in good health." I said as I offered her my hand. The look in her eyes was one of concern like she was afraid to move. She just sat there looking up at me and I was unsure of how to proceed but nevertheless I had to get her checked out. I knelt down in front of her before speaking again.

"I know you're nervous, but like I said before as long as you stick with me you'll be safe. I'm not asking you to fully trust me cause' to be honest I don't trust you either but you have to understand that I have no reason to lie to you." She just continued to stare at me for a second before nodding and slowly standing up. We then walked back to the tent where Arcade was now waiting for us at the entrance.

"It's good to see you young lady." He stated with a smile causing her to blush slightly. "Just stand right over there and we'll get started." He motioned for her to walk over to the table and I took a seat in the corner by where Nitro was sleeping.

"Alright I'm going to need you to remove the jacket and your shirt." He said plainly as he laid some supplies across the table. She clutched the front of the jacket and crossed her arms before looking in my direction. I honestly didn't know why she was looking at me but apparently arcade caught on quickly.

"Jason, could you leave for a minute please?" He asked simply motioning me out of the tent. I let out a sigh before standing and walking out letting the curtain fall closed behind me. It was late now considering the sky was pitch black. I was unable to see any stars due to the fact we were so close to the Strip but I was used to not seeing them. I honestly had no idea what I was doing as I just walked around the outside of the tent kicking up dust into small clouds floating away from me.

The only sounds I could hear were my own thoughts before something else caught my attention. Loud bangs could be heard erupting from the giant gate leading into the fort as if someone was knocking with all their might.

"I know you're in there kid!" A familiar voice sounded from the other side. By now Arcade and Sherry had left the tent and were now standing behind me. He already had his Plasma Defender in his hand as he started taking steps towards the gate. The armed guards noticed him and they too pulled their weapons towards the entrance. I quickly grabbed Sherry's hand and pulled her back into the tent before picking up my backpack and dumping the contents out onto the table. The 10mm bounced and slid across the table to where she was standing and she glanced over to me before reaching for it. I was faster however as my hand caught her wrist and fear seemed to take over her gaze.

"I'll let you use this but if you try and turn on anyone hear I WILL kill you." The words left my mouth with an amount of seriousness I didn't think I was capable of. She just nodded and I released my grip before extending a full magazine to her. She slowly took it from me and clicked it into place. I then turned quickly to grab my All-American from the corner deciding to leave my armor be for now. We exited the tent and approached where Gannon was now standing.

"I already told you to leave. Now don't make the mistake of sticking around." He yelled to the assailant on the other side. There were six of us all together carrying weapons and we all had them fixed on the fort's entrance. There was no telling just how many were on the other side but at this point I was prepared for almost anything. Arcade nodded to one of the armed guards to open the gate to which he obliged. The man stood up and silently walked to the entrance before quickly opening it with his 357 magnum at the ready.

The silence was shattered by a gunshot resulting in blood to splatter the ground as the guard fell backwards into the fort. There was now a gapping hole in his forehead and we wasted no time before opening fire at the small gap in the gate leading to the outside. After the gunfire had stopped there was no sign we had actually hit anything and I heard Arcade mumble under his breath. The silence had returned and I was unsure about what was going to happen now.

"Jason when I give the word. You and I will storm the gate." Arcade said with all seriousness plastered across his face. All I could do was grin at the remark as I slung the rifle over my shoulder and once again pulled out my combat knife. Sherry seemed utterly confused and unsure of the suggestion.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" She asked with uncertainty filling her voice.

"Don't worry about it." I smiled reassuringly. "We'll be sure to end all of this quickly." His smile matched my own as he placed his hand on my shoulder and nodded before bolting towards the entrance. I quickly followed suit and charged behind him. He slammed his shoulder into the wooden gate causing it to swing open fast enough for me slide past him out onto the street. I came to a stop just a few feet from the first unlucky assailant as I jammed my blade into his thigh. He screamed in pain just before plasma struck his face causing him to go limp and hit the ground next to me. Arcade then immediately began firing into the small crowd of enemies without a second thought. There was at least eight other armed men before he dropped another two. Now there was six and I wasn't about to let him have all the fun. I sat up crouching on one knee while bringing my rifle around and clicking off the safety. My first shot was lined up almost instantly and I pulled the trigger watching the man's skull explode through the scope.

Blood and brain splattered the friends standing behind him and as I lined up my next shot I noticed something that required me to take a second look. The man at the very back was carrying my shotgun. He had Dinnerbell in his hands and I was honestly taken aback by the sight. As Arcade took down three more of the thugs the remaining two including the one I was after started to run away. I then saw him start to line up another shot before I whistled to get his attention. He looked over to me and lowered his weapon once he saw I had the shot lined up. I pulled the trigger again with the bullet entering the second man's head before sending another shot into the back my main target's kneecap. He stumbled forward and dropped Dinnerbell which made a horrible scraping sound as it bounded across the concrete.

He then started to crawl towards the gun trying his best to reach it with an outstretched arm. Before he could grab it however I slammed the heel of my boot down on his hand. The sound of cracking bones filled the air as his fingers snapped under my foot and he yelled in agony.

"Where did you get this gun!?" I demanded through clenched teeth. The last time I saw it was before I was knocked unconscious by the man with the pip-boy.

"Go to hell." He whispered most likely hoping I wouldn't hear it but it wasn't quiet enough cause' even Arcade heard him from a few feet away.

"I wouldn't try to act tough right now, dumbass." Arcade said as he loaded another cell into his Plasma Defender. I pressed down even harder on his now shattered hand pulling another cry of pain from his lungs. I could tell he wasn't going to give up easily and I was growing tired of playing games.

"Okay then, let's try this a different way." I lifted my boot off of his hand and planted a kick into his ribcage making him flip onto his back. I then pressed the barrel of All-American against his forehead and placed my finger on the trigger.

"One more chance fucker." I stated while staring him dead in the eyes. They were bloodshot with dark circles under them and his whole complexion was that of a chem. User. It was obviously this guy was blitzed out of his mind but it didn't make a difference to me. I just wanted my answer.

"This guy just showed up at the boss's office." He finally blurted out through fresh tears starting to run down his face. "He just handed me the gun and said he would pay us to take you out." The statement caught me off guard considering I thought they were there for Sherry.

"He sent you after me?" I asked trying to wrap my head around the whole situation. The man at my feet just nodded frantically hoping I wouldn't paint the concrete below him red. Arcade wore an expression as if he were trying to think of an easy explanation.

"He told me to have you read this before we killed you." The man stuttered as he slid a small piece of paper from the front pocket of his dirty flannel shirt. I quickly snatched it from him and unfolded it while keeping the gun pressed to his head. It didn't make sense to me considering it just seemed to be an old phrase from long ago.

"An eye for an eye?" I asked myself trying to think of what it could mean in this circumstance. Arcade then put his hand on my shoulder and leaned in to whisper something to me that I hadn't thought of until then.

"What if this wasn't a hit squad? What if they were just here to deliver the message knowing you would go after the man with your gun?" His voice sounded wary and nervous. A combination I had never heard him use before. Then all of a sudden the man below use started to laugh hysterically. The realization hit me and I lunged downward slamming the stock of the rifle across his face causing him to roll a few feet away revealing a small black "X" underneath him where he had been laying.

"Get down!" I yelled just before hearing a gunshot echo down the street. I was able to shove Arcade out of the way but the bullet lodged itself in my right shoulder making the pain even worse after hitting the ground on that side. Gannon immediately started firing down the road at the sniper who was presumably behind cover with plasma splattering on the brick wall he was hiding behind. While he was trying to take down the stealthy attacker however, the man I was holding captive just moments before was now on top of me applying all of his pressure with both hands around my throat.

Since one of my arms was now disabled I was having a hard time fighting back. My air supply was being cut off and it was getting hard to breathe so I didn't see any other option. I reached up with my left hand and plunged my thumb into his right eye socket. He screamed and let go almost instantly falling backwards clutching his face. I started coughing trying to take in what oxygen I could but was met with the sound of a hammer being pulled back on a gun.

I looked up to see the now partially blind man pointing his 9mm directly at me. Blood was running down the right side of his face now and despite the pain I knew he was in, he had a huge smile on his face. I couldn't reach my gun from where I was and by the time I would get to it I would have already been shot dead.

"It's time to die you little bastard." He said quietly with a creepy sounding chuckle before stepping forward with his finger on the trigger. I closed my eyes tightly and clenched my fist preparing for the final sound I would ever hear. Then just as I was expecting I heard the shot ring out a few feet away. To my surprise however I didn't feel any pain. As a matter of fact I was still very much alive. I opened my eyes to see my assailant lying on the ground with Sherry standing a few feet away pointing the 10mm at the now lifeless man with a shaky hand. I let out a sigh of relief and used my good arm to help myself stand. Once I was on my feet I started to walk over to her while she still kept her aim at the corpse lying before her.

I slowly reached up and slid the gun from her grip and she never once took her eyes off the body. Her hands still shook slightly and her gaze was one of absolute horror. It was obvious to me she had never really killed anyone before which also explains why she wasn't a good thug.

"It'll get easier." I said trying to get her to turn her attention towards me. "And thanks for coming to my rescue. I guess we're even for now." After that statement she finally glanced in my direction and it looked like she was about to cry. Then she noticed my now bleeding shoulder and her eyes got wider.

"Are you gonna be ok?" Was all she asked as she seemed to inspect the fresh wound.

"He'll be fine." Arcade said as he approached the both of us. I turned to look around him just in time to see two of the armed guards running down the street towards the mystery sniper's post.

"They'll take care of it from here." He stated with a smile. "Now it's time for round two, kid. It looks like you need some more patchwork." He laughed at his own remark and for a second I thought I saw Sherry flash a smile. We walked back into the fort and headed strait for the tent. The fallen guard at the entrance now had a sheet covering his body and there were several people standing around him. It's weird how you can actually feel sad for someone you never knew. My heart truly felt for the man after he gave his life to protect those inside the fort.

Once we made it inside the tent I tried to remove my now blood stained white thermal shirt but with the pain shooting through my arm I was unable to. It ended up having to be cut off which really disappointed me because it was one of my favorite shirts, but I would rather be fixed up than have to worry about clothing. After the shirt was removed he once again poured alcohol into my new wound. The burn was so intense that I had to bite down on a folded piece of the shirt I still held in my hand. Gannon stood there with a huge grin before he turned and asked Sherry for assistance.

"Can you please hand me those tweezers Sherry?" He asked in a very polite tone. In fact it was too polite considering what he was about to do.

"You might wanna keep biting on that." The statement came out as a chuckle and I knew I was about to be in extreme pain. An hour and two bottles of hard liquor later I was beyond sore and had an extremely hard time barely moving my right arm. I now had a giant gauss pad taped to my shoulder to cover the wound and avoid infection. At this point I was exhausted but right as I was about to lay back and fall asleep I heard a commotion coming from the front gate again and I groaned as I stood up with the 10mm in my left hand. I made it to the center of the fort before the two armed guards from earlier dropped a beaten and battered man at my feet. His face and arms were all extremely bruised and it looked like his nose was broken. I automatically knew who it was and didn't wait a second before starting my payback.

"If you're gonna kill me just do it quickly." He slurred before spitting blood onto the ground in front of me. I just tilted my head back and laughed before speaking.

"That's kinda hard for me to do considering you took out my good arm." I then lifted the 10mm and waved it around in his face like I was having a hard time controlling it. "I'm not as balanced with this hand so my aim is off." After passing his head I fired a shot into his right shoulder. He gasped in silent agony and I started laughing again.

"See how bad that was? I was actually trying to hit your face." Then I copied the same movements as before except this time I sent a bullet into his left shoulder and he cried out with tears running down his face.

"Now if you don't want this to get worse I suggest you tell me where I can find your boss." I just needed this one last piece of information and that would bring me one step closer to the fucker who killed my mom.

"He's in the ruins of the Silver Rush. After the Van Graff family was taken down years ago the place became abandoned so the boss moved in and started the big chem. Operation. You'll find him on the second floor after getting through all of the chem. Crazed lunatics. His name is Dixon just don't tell him I told you anything. I'm begging you." The man was practically sobbing at this point and I was tired of listening.

"I promise you won't have to worry about him." I said as I took a step back and the smile he had started to form was quickly changed when I put the gun between his eyes and pulled the trigger. Everyone just stood there staring at me not sure about what to do or say next. Arcade then decided to speak up.

"Was that really necessary?" He questioned with slight concern.

"An eye for an eye, right?" Was my only response as I walked back towards the tent where my bedroll was waiting for me.

"Tomorrow we'll pay Dixon a visit and hopefully get the information we need, but for now I need some sleep." After saying my goodnights to Arcade and Sherry I laid down with Nitro curled up next to me and happily let the darkness take over my vision.

.


End file.
